Are you suggesting that the upcoming examinations will be much trickier than usual?

Also, wondering if you would know anything about this.

In the marking guidance the examiners are told to mark every attempt and score the highest one, aren't they? So in the exam if I struggle in one question can I do multiple attempts each with its own answer and working but without crossing them out and expect the examiner to mark all of them and award the highest individual attempt?

(Original post by zino)
Yeah, solved the M3 Jan 14 one, it was a nightmare*..

Are you suggesting that the upcoming examinations will be much trickier than usual?

Also, wondering if you would know anything about this.

In the marking guidance the examiners are told to mark every attempt and score the highest one, aren't they? So in the exam if I struggle in one question can I do multiple attempts each with its own answer and working but without crossing them out and expect the examiner to mark all of them and award the highest individual attempt?

Absolutely. The papers have definitely been getting harder in recent sessions. It isn't so much that the questions are more difficult but they are more unusual requiring a decent understanding of the content. Previously the papers were very predictable and as long as you smashed the past papers you would be fine, now, not so much. Exam boards have been directed to put more rigour into their examination papers. I now think it vital that students complete the trickier questions in the mixed exercises / review exercises; even look for styles of questions that are in the text book but that are not normally asked in the papers.

(Original post by zino)
In all cases, if the candidate clearly labels their working under a particular part of a
question i.e. (a) or (b) or (c),……then that working can only score marks for that part
of the question.

Does this also mean that we should not label our answers? :P

it is so rare that this could benefit you that I would say you should clearly label your answers and make it as easy as possible for the examiner to award you the marks.